Germans still divided 22 years after fall of Berlin Wall

The majority of east Germans regard their western compatriots as “arrogant” and mostly interested in money, according to a new survey that highlights distinct east-west identities.

More than 22 years after the reunification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall, a major study by the Allensbach Institute showed that easterners held strongly negative views of westerners but high opinions of themselves.

The study found that 71% of easterners believe westerners are “arrogant”, 57% see westerners as interested primarily in money, and 45% believe westerners are “shallow”.